Fleeting - Art ClothOn the 21st February of 2016 I was invited to exhibit in the Newcastle Printmakers Workshop Exhibition titled - ‘Sea Scrolls. Celebrating 50 Years of Print’ - an exhibition of scrolls at Art Systems Wickham art gallery, Newcastle, 21th to 30th October 2016.

The criteria for the exhibition was based on the following:
Sci-fi writer H.P. Lovecraft once said that the ocean "is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time." We land-dwellers can sometimes take the ocean for granted, but we really shouldn't, since the Earth's surface is 70% water. When you think of it that way, this is the ocean's planet, and we're just guests.

I hope you enjoy my journey in creating the piece for the ‘Sea Scrolls. Celebrating 50 Years of Print’ exhibition which I have named ‘Fleeting’.

The Research ConceptsAround 252 million years ago, during the Permian-Triassic extinction event, an estimated 90 to 95 percent of marine and terrestrial species became extinct. As a result, oceanic reefs did not exist anywhere on the planet for ten million years.

“The Great Dying,” as it’s now known, was the most severe mass extinction in Earth’s history, and is probably the closest life has come to being completely extinguished. Possible causes include immense volcanic eruptions, rapid depletion of oxygen in the oceans, and - an unlikely option - an asteroid collision.

While the causes of this global catastrophe are unknown, an MIT-led team of researchers has now established that the end-Permian extinction was extremely rapid, triggering massive die-outs both in the oceans and on land in less than 20,000 years - the blink of an eye in geologic time. The researchers also found that this time period coincides with a massive buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which likely triggered the simultaneous collapse of species in the oceans and on land.

With further calculations, the group found that the average rate at which carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere during the end-Permian extinction was slightly below today’s rate of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere due to fossil fuel emissions. Over tens of thousands of years, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide during the Permian period likely triggered severe global warming, accelerating species extinctions [1].

In the meantime, Paleontologists from the University of Zurich now reveal that climate catastrophes in the past played a crucial role in the dominance of ray-finned fish today.

The scientists studied the changes in biodiversity among cartilaginous and bony fish during the Permian and Triassic periods around 300 to 200 million years ago - an interval marked by several serious extinction events. They evaluated the global scientific literature on bony and cartilaginous fish from the last 200 years and collected data on diversity and body size, the latter providing an indication of the fish’s position in the food chains in the seas and freshwater.

Based on the data evaluated, the researchers demonstrate that cartilaginous fish, the most biodiverse fish group at the time, especially suffered heavily during an extinction event in the Middle Permian epoch while the Permian ray-finned fish escaped relatively unscathed. After an even bigger mass extinction close to the Permian-Triassic boundary, which wiped out 96 percent of all sea organisms, these bony fish diversified heavily. Of the ray-finned fish, the so-called Neopterygii (“new fins”) became particular biodiverse during the Triassic and, with over 30,000 species, today constitute the largest vertebrate group. Their spectacular variety of forms ranges from eels, tuna, flounders and angler fish all the way to seahorses [2].

Artist Statement, Conceptual Processes and SolutionsArtist Statement
This ArtCloth Sea Scroll depicts the fragility of life due to The Great Permian Extinction. The trilobites (lower half) are representative of the extinct marine species, whereas the sea horse (upper half) represents new species, with both halves being connected by the extinction timeline.

Conceptual Processes
A number of factors needed to be considered to encompass the concepts in the ArtCloth piece:
(i) That the background needed texture to represent the earth’s land and in particular, ocean topographies.
(ii) That imagery included the idea of islands and land masses being covered by rising oceans.
(iii) That references were made to the recent warming of the planet and climate change issues by incorporating warm hues such as orange, yellow and red.
(iv) That references were made to the previous cooling of the planet and those historical climatic events by incorporating cool hues such as various blues, greys, purples and black.
(v) That the piece be given a formal repetitive structure to imply that these contemporary climate change issues are due to the intervention of the human species.
(vi) That the historical events and contemporary issues be acknowledged as two independent eras but to be unified as a single artwork highlighting the on-going evolutionary processes on our planet.
(vii) That an extinct end-Permian species - a trilobite - be represented in the piece.
(viii) That a newly evolved fish species be represented in the piece.
(ix) That the two represented species have a unique and ‘fleeting’ presence on the piece - to depict the loss of one species and the possible future loss of the newly evolved species.
(x) That the fabric used for the piece would be light enough so that it could move in a gentle breeze and reference the movement of waves. Due to its light weight it should also reference the fragility of ocean species.

Solutions
After much research the concepts for items (i) - (v) were encapsulated after hours of drawings, colour studies, photography and design elements working with computer software programs until the desired effects were achieved. The images were then printed on a three and a half metre fabric length.

The solution for concept/item (vi) was achieved by splitting the artwork into two separate sections and then joining them with a hand stitched lutrador panel to depict the extinction timelines.

For concept/item (vii) a trilobite was chosen as the extinct end-Permian species.

For concept/item (viii) a seahorse was chosen as the newly evolved fish species.

For concept/item (ix) that the images be screenprinted in gold foil at varying sizes to depict a unique and visually ‘fleeting’ presence on the piece as well as convey a sense of the ‘treasures’ that the ocean contains.

For concept/item (x) Silky Faille was the fabric chosen to reference both the fragility of ocean species and the movement of waves.

Fleeting – Detail View of the top and bottom sections joined with a hand stitched lutrador panel.

Fleeting - Detail View of a silkscreened gold foil seahorse image.

Fleeting - Detail View of a silkscreened gold foil trilobite image.

References:[1] https://phys.org/news/2011-11-timeline-mass-extinction-evidence-rapid.html#jCp
[2] ‘Mass extinction led to many new species of bony fish’. Heritage Daily, independent online science publication by Heritage Gateway, December 2014.

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2018 CrossXpollinatioN Exhibition - Journey's

Marie-Therese has been invited to be a 'Feature Artist' at the '2018 CrossXpollinatioN' exhibition which is themed 'Journey's'. Her ArtCloth Installation 'Timelines: An Environmental Journey' will be exhibited at the Colac Otway Performing Arts & Cultural Centre, Colac, Victoria from the 7th - 29th July 2018. The installation will feature works employing her signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique on synthetic fibres.Click on the image to see how the Gondwana II was created.

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2018 Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair at the International Convention Centre, Sydney, from the 20th – 24th June.Art Quill Studio can be found at stand no. G29_LP1 where my unique and contemporary hand dyed, hand painted and hand printed ArtCloth fabric lengths, fat quarters, fabric samplers and scarves will be available as well as my one-off/limited edition digitally designed ArtCloth fabric lengths.Click on the image to view some of my fabric lengths and the techniques used to make them.

I have uploaded a new Glossary on my blogspot.The Glossary of Paper, Photography, Printing, Prints and Publication Terms is highly focused, containing definitions and terms pertinent to the specific categories in the title. Click on the image to access it!

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Marie-Therese's ArtCloth print, 'Memories' is included in the Zayed University Permanent Collection Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Click on the image to read about Marie-Therese's artwork/technique which was previously exhibited at a solo exhibition at Sydney's Eden Garden Gallery.

About Me

I work full time as a studio artist, researcher, author, curator, speaker and tutor. I am also the Director of Art Quill Studio, The Education Division of Art Quill & Co. Pty. Ltd. at Arcadia Vale, NSW, Australia. I teach as a casual lecturer at The University of Newcastle (Australia) and I am the former co-editor of Textile Fibre Forum art magazine.

Employing my signature techniques I specialize in the area of ArtCloth, artist printmaker books and limited edition prints.

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My unique, hand dyed and printed silk rayon velvet and pashmina scarves are available for purchase. To purchase a scarf please contact - studio@artquill.com.au.Click on the image above to see my velvet ArtCloth scarves.

Welcome to Art Quill Studio

Art Quill Studio is a trademark of Art Quill & Co P/L, which is an Australian Company with no subsidiaries outside of Australia.

This blog will be dedicated to arousing world wide interest in: (a) using the medium of cloth to create a work of art; (b) promoting works on paper; (c) exploring concepts that are the basis of my current artworks; (d) offering opinions on art issues; (e) providing art resources to the public at large.